Red Dawn
by DarkPhoenixForce
Summary: Set after the events of Last Stand. A Magneto now back in full control of his powers pays a visit to someone he hasn't seen in many years. New allegiances are formed and a mutant potentially more devastating than the Dark Phoenix itself is unleashed.
1. Chapter 1

Brilliant streaks of fire cracked open the roiling grey expanse of the sky as an icy drizzle began to beat into the earth, soaking the smooth stone walls surrounding the building. Magneto's fingers tapped unconsciously on his knee, out of rhythm with the rain drumming on the roof of the sleek black car he took shelter in, as he scanned the open file in front of him. At last, with a 'snap', he closed the folder, tucking it inside his jacket and opened the door of the vehicle, unfolding an umbrella as he stepped into the tempest.

"Stay here," he said shortly to the driver before shutting the passenger door and turning to gaze up at the massive structure in front of him. With a calm expression that did not betray his inner uneasiness, he promptly strode up to the entrance gate, his feet making a hard 'slap' each time they connected with the slippery pavement.

Having been forewarned of his coming, the guard gave him a brief nod and allowed him entrance. Once inside the lobby of the building, he was greeted by a short, middle aged doctor clothed in a long white coat.

"Ah, you must be Mr. Lenscherr," the man simpered with an unintentionally unpleasant smile, his yellow teeth somehow managing to gleam in the weak light of the room. "We have been expecting you. Right this way, sir." The balding man turned and hurried down a lengthy corridor.

Magneto followed him, his face set in a practiced mask of blankness. On either side of the hall were thick steel doors, each with a little slot at the top through which one could look if the cover were drawn away. Moans, shrieks, and angry yells sounded from behind most of them. Some, on the other hand, were eerily silent. The colorless walls of the asylum dimmed into a kind of dull off white under the muted lighting, serving only to add to the dreariness of the place. Magneto frowned faintly to himself in distaste but said nothing as he was led hastily through the labyrinth of identical, tunnel like passages until his guide finally halted without warning in front of one of the doors.

It was located at the far end of an otherwise deserted hallway. No other cells were in the near vicinity, leaving the mysterious occupant on the other side of the metal barrier to sink into her own quiet hell.

The doctor fished around in his coat pocket for a moment before withdrawing a card with a quick snap of his wrist. Moving up to the door, he slid the plastic key forward into a small electronic slot. A loud 'beep' sounded as the room was unlocked.

"I must warn you, she's a bit….off…one of _those_…," the man said with a swift darting glance at Magneto. "Mutant scum ruining decent peoples' lives...and some nutcases in the government would have you believe that we could live in _peace _with the monsters." He made a disgusted noise. "Rotten, the whole lot of them," he added.

Magneto surveyed him coldly. "Indeed?" he asked in a bored tone laced with just the faintest hint of contempt as his wintry eyes scrutinized the man who seemed to grow uncomfortable under his gaze and swiftly turned to tug the door open, stepping out of the way as he did so.

Silently, the Master of Magnetism stepped through the doorway into the shadowy cell beyond. A tiny barred window was cut into the stone wall near the ceiling in one corner of the room, casting a feeble, unnatural glow on the grimy concrete floor. Shoved against the wall underneath the hole was a rickety metal cot with a thin, tattered mattress resting on top. No other furniture decorated the minute, claustrophobic space.

Eyes narrowed and body tense, the man slowly surveyed the cell, his piercing gaze quickly falling on the obscure outline of someone sitting in the darkest corner of the room. Cautiously, he started to take another step, this time in the direction of the figure, but the young woman began to chuckle softly, causing him to pause. From the blackness, a dark haired woman in her early twenties with icy blue eyes to match his slowly stood and moved toward him.

"Fancy seeing _you_ here," she murmured, the corners of her mouth still twitching in a bit of insane laughter.

"How have you been?" he asked quietly, his expression unaltered.

She simply grinned strangely, not answering him for a moment. "I've been better," she said softly at last, her eyes darting between him and the doctor. Her hands twitched at her sides, clenching and unclenching as she spoke. "Why are you here?"

"I've…come to take you home," he answered after a brief hesitation.

"Home?" she repeated mirthlessly, all traces of her former smile absent. "So it is true." She turned away from him, tilting her head up toward the faint light streaming through the window, her eyes closed and a hint of pain in her features.

"I would have come for you sooner….had I known your location," he added by means of an explanation.

She didn't answer him, but her body went rigid, her jaw tight. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced around the room as the walls began to shake. Behind him, he heard the doctor start to move forward, but he held up his hand for him to stop.

"I can help you," he stated simply. "I can help you get what you want…."

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. Despite himself, he felt slightly unsettled. Her eyes were hard, full of rage and agony that brought to mind memories he would rather stay repressed.

"Let me help you," he said quietly.

"Alright….Father."


	2. Chapter 2

"It's beautiful," the recently revived Professor Xavier stated quietly, still adjusting to the unfamiliar voice of the formerly lifeless body he had

assumed. Any guilt he harbored at taking over the conscious-less man's mind had faded at multiple reassurances, both from doctors and the

patient's family, as to the hopelessness of the case. The man would never have woken up otherwise.

"I thought so," Storm murmured in reply from her position beside him, a small smile gracing her face. "We always talked about adding a new

wing. Now it's finally finished, and it sure gives the old place a nice new touch."

"Yes," the Professor nodded, smiling himself as he watched a couple of his students gambol across the massive front lawn. "I think it's high time

we expanded our program, don't you?" He glanced back to catch a twinkle in her eyes as she grinned broadly at the prospect of expanding their

student body. Suddenly, however, her expression altered, a look of sorrow creasing the corners of her mouth.

"Storm? What is it?" Xavier questioned concernedly. "What's wrong?"

The elegant dark skinned woman shook her head. "It's nothing, Charles. I was just . . . the thought just occurred to me that we're going to have

to hire some . . . some new staff . . . on account of . . . what happened with Jean and Scott."

Xavier frowned faintly, turning his eyes back to the graceful architecture of the mansion's recent renovations, a thoughtful expression contorting

his face. "Yes, I know," he stated at last with a heavy sigh. "But we do owe it to them, to _both_ of them," he added, noting the strange look which

flitted across the woman's face at the memory of what _one _of those people had done, "to continue with our mission. The Jean and Scott we both

knew and loved, they would have wanted the X Men to continue to thrive. I know they would, Storm."

Ororo grimaced, turning her face toward the distant black clouds hovering menacingly toward them. "You're right," she admitted reluctantly, a

short bitter laugh escaping her lips. She shut her eyes, letting the fleeing rays of sunlight warm her skin before the storm hit. "I want to help other

mutants, for both of them," she declared, turning an intense, steely gaze on her friend. "I mean that," she finished.

Xavier nodded, flashing her one of his understanding smiles. "Glad, as always, to have you on board, Ororo."

Their conversation was cut short as a shaggy blue monster of a man bounded across the lawn, still managing to somehow retain an air of

regality. "Ah, Charles, Miss Munroe, I'm delighted to have found you so quickly," Beast said.

"Hello, Hank," Storm grinned at her old friend.

"Yes, hello, Hank," Xavier agreed, inclining his head to the man. "Storm and I were just admiring the new wing. What do you think? Will we be

able to start recruiting more students soon?"

"I dearly hope so, Professor," Beast replied, although a worried expression tugged at his face. "However, I'm afraid I have some troubling news."

"What is it?" Xavier demanded, instantly businesslike.

"If you'll accompany me inside," he extended his arm toward the front door, leading the party inside. Once the trio had entered the mansion,

Beast guided them into the main living room. "Bobby," he called to the brown haired boy lounging on the couch, switch to the local news station and

turn up the volume."

"Roger, Hank," the teen replied, doing as instructed before flopping back into his former position.

The evening announcer was already speaking, "Reports at the scene of the tragedy are so far limited as fire fighters attempt to regain control of

the building. Several senators who were sitting in on a meeting were harmed in the blast, but so far no reports of any fatalities."

"Hank," Xavier began slowly, "is this where I think it is?"

The blue mutant nodded. "Headquarters of a very vigorous Anti-Mutant campaign," he responded. "Most of the senators present at the time of

the explosion appear to have been tossing around a new bill to enforce stricter mutant registration laws."

"Oh my," Storm muttered, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her, "Who could have done this, Charles?"

Angry, vengeful flames roiled out of the shattered windows of the already drooping building on the screen, rearing up above a sea of oily black

smoke pouring like sable blood into the gaping sky. Reporters and civilians fought with a band of police and firefighters to try to gain a closer view of

the disaster. The building itself was only the epicenter of the chaos, a fact revealed as news cameras slowly roved the space to unveil a scene of

destruction, broken cars with shattered glass windshields, twisted and mangled street signs, and fractured pavement yawning up in jagged ruins.

"Hank, I need you to start up the Blackbird," Xavier spoke out in sudden briskness. "Storm, assemble the team."

"But there's no way . . . I mean . . . not him," Storm began.

"I don't know," Xavier muttered, a disturbed note in his eyes, "But we have to investigate regardless."

Storm hesitated, scrutinizing Xavier for a moment, trying to discern his thought process, but a practiced mask of calm had almost instantly

descended on his visage once he ceased speaking. After a moment, she nodded, turning on her heel to carry out the task as instructed by the

Professor. "You had better know what you're doing, Charles," she called over her shoulder, disappearing down the hallway.

"Naturally," he murmured. "As always . . . I pray I do."


End file.
